Western Massachusetts cathedral calls Springfield native Jose Reyés to serve as 8th dean

Bishop Fisher and Dean Reyes at Christ Church Cathedral, Springfield, MA.

The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, Bishop of Western Massachusetts, will join the people of Christ Church Cathedral, 35 Chestnut Street in Springfield, on Saturday, May 3 at 11 am for a Celebration of New Ministry and the Installation of the Eighth Dean. The Bishop announced the selection of The Very Rev. Jose Reyés on January 13 saying, “This call is a spiritual homecoming. José’s vocation took root at Christ Church Cathedral.”

An extensive search process began when Dean Tom Callard accepted a call in California in 2023. An interim dean, the Rev. Bernie Poppe, served faithfully as interim dean until the fall of 2024. Reyés is the youngest cleric to become dean and the first from the City of Springfield.

Reyés officially began his ministry in Springfield on Sunday, March 23. Judith MacMunn, senior warden of Christ Church Cathedral, expressed deep joy that the search is over and the next chapter can begin. “We are so very excited and thankful to have Dean Reyes among us as our leader! We are thrilled by his love of the Lord, his energy and his vision!”

The Very Rev. José Reyes was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and with his family, came to the United States when he was four years old. They settled in Springfield and became a founding family of the Latino/Hispano congregation at the Episcopal Cathedral. “The cathedral that I encountered was loving and inclusive and generous and welcoming,” Reyés said in an interview with the editor of the diocesan magazine. “You know, our cathedral was my first experience with what God is–an amazing community that opened its doors and welcomed us in and invited us to be leaders in the church.”

Dean Reyés holds a BA from Williams College with a major in Psychology and a concentration in Latina/o Studies. Following his undergraduate studies, he worked as an Elder Protective Services Case Manager and later as a Case Manager for the Mental Health Association during which he decided to pursue ordination to the priesthood. Reyés attended Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia and received the Master of Divinity degree in 2015. After he was ordained deacon, he served as the Head Pastor of San Marcos Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Virginia. Bishop Fisher ordained Reyés a priest on September 12, 2015. He has served as Associate Rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Worcester, MA, Rector of St. Mark’s/San Marcos in Worcester, MA and Missioner for Hispanic Ministries in the Diocese of Western MA. Dean Reyés is married to an Episcopal priest, the Reverend Mary Rosendale, and they share two young children.

“The vision that I have for the cathedral,” the new dean reflected, “is being a light that shines forth. That includes all the things that light represents: encouragement, hope, and the dawn of new things.”